Folding chair



@No Model.) Y

Wl J` M-ORELAND.

FOLDING CHAIR. l N0. 505,321. l y Patented Sept. 19, 1893.

1 W/TNESSES: 4/NVENTH @4' @a/634, 154mg Meet@ f@ A TTOHNE YS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS J. MORELAND, OF

MOTTVILLE, NEW YORK.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,321, datedSeptember 19, 1893.

Application filed March 10, 1893.

lo a/ZZ whom #may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIS J. MORELAND, of Mottville, in the county ofOnondaga and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved FoldingChair, of which the following is a full, clear, andeXact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in folding or reclining chairs,and it has for its object to construct the chair in a simple, durableand economic manner, and to provide a means whereby when the chair is inposition forireclining, the seat at its outer end will be elevated,thereby preventing the person reclining upon the chair from having atendency to slip oif therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the chair that thefoot rest may be carried upward at its outer end above the level of theseat when the chair is in position for reclining.

Another object of the invention is to construct the chair of but fewparts, and to proi vide a means whereby it may be completely folded.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth. and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chair in a position enabling aperson' to be seated therein. Fig. 2 isa perspective viewof the chair ina position to allow a person to partially recline thereon. Fig. 3jis aperspective view of the chair when folded. Fig. 4 is a partial frontview of the back, the foot rest and the seat, and one side of the frameof the chair; and Fig. 5 is a section taken practically on the line 5-5of Fig. 4, the section being taken through the frame, the seat appearingpartially in planview;

It is the object of this invention to construct the chair in such mannerthat it will be perfectly balanced in whatever position it may beplaced, thus dispensing with the use of ratchets and other fasteningdevices to maintain it in a predetermined position, the chair beingcapable of following the movement of Serial No. 465.375. (No model.)

the body` in a sitting posture, a partially reclining position, or afully reclining posture.

In carrying out the invention the chair consists primarily of a seat A,a back B, a foot rest C, legs D and arms E. The back comf prises one ormore panels 10, secured between or attached to side bars l1, which sidebars may forma portion of the panel, or the panel, as has been stated,may be secured to the bars. The seat A, is constructed in theordinarymanner. The side pieces 1l of the back, at their lower ends, arepivoted tothe rear portion of the seat, as shown at a in the drawings. Acurved iron 12, is pivoted between the back and the scat at the pivotalconnection of these two parts; therefore, one iron is located at eachside of the seat at its rear, the said irons being curved downward andforwardly. The legs are of the X-pattern, and are pivotally connected attheir central portions, ordinarily by means of a central cross bar 13;and the upper ends of the ,front legs are securely attached to thecurved metal plates or bars 12, pivoted upon the seat; while the upperforward ends of the rear legs are usually provided in their forwardedges with ref cesses 14. The foot rest comprises one or more panels 15,which may constitute an integral portion of or be attached to the sidebars 16. The side bars at their upper portions eX- tend beyond the upperor inner edge of the panel 15, and are curved inaforward direction; thatis to say, when the panel is in an upright position the upper ends ofthe sides of the foot rest will have a decided upward and outward curve,as shown in Fig. 1. Below the curved portion of the foot rest the saidrest is pivotally connected with the forward portion of the seat, thepivot pins 17, passing through the side bars of the foot rest where thestraight upper portion thereof ends and the curve commences, as islikewise best shown in Fig. 1; therefore the curved portions of the sidebars of the foot rest extend above 4the seat; and the arms E of thechair are pivoted to the side bars of the back and are connected withthe upper ends of the side bars of the foot rest by means of connectingbars 18, which connecting bars are hinged to the under faces of thearms, and pivotally connect with the upper curved ends of the foot rest.Therefore, the pivotal connection between the foot IOO rest and the armsis in advance of and consequently out of vertical alignment with thepivotal connection between the foot rest and the seat, and this featureof the invention enables the chair to be placed in any position; thatis, a sittingl position, a partially reclining or a fully recliningposition, and be held in that position by the balancing of the body ofthe occupant, thus requiring no ratchets or other fastening devices. Theconnecting bars 18 are so hinged to the arms that they may be foldedrearwardly beneath the arms.

The foot rest above its pivotal connection is usually provided at eachside with pins 19, and these pins, when the chair is set up for use, areadapted to enter the recesses 14 in the upper forward ends of the rearlegs. I desire it to be distinctly understood that instead of the pins19 being secured to the foot rest and entering the recesses in the legs,the pins may be secured to or form an integral portion of the legs andenter recesses or their equivalents formed in the foot rest.

When it is desired to fold up the chair, the forward legs aredisconnected from the pins 19, and the back B, is folded down upon theseat A, which is readily accomplished owing to the connecting blocks 18which unite the arms with the foot rest and are pivotally connected withone and hinged to the other; therefore, the arms will be carriedforwardly as the back is dropped, and the side bars of the back willVirtually drop down between the arms, as shown in Fig. 2. The foot restis next folded to an engagement with the under face of the seat, whilethe legs are brought together or closed,and carried upward against therear portion of the back, the folded position of the chair being fullyshown in Fig. 3. The balancing of the chair depends to a great extentupon the pivot 19, carried by the legs D, which acts to throw up thefront of the seat.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. As an improved article of manufacture, a folding andreclining chair, comprislng a supporting frame, a back, a seat pivotallyconnected with the back, a foot rest pivotally connected with the seat,arms having a pivotal connection with the back, and connecting barshinged to the said arms and pivotally connected with the foot rest,whereby the back can be moved independently of the foot rest, as and forthe purpose specified.

2. As an improved article of manufacture a folding and reclining chair,comprising a supporting frame a back, a seat pivotally connected withthe back, a foot'rest pivotally connected with the seat, having itsupper or inner end at the sides curved outwardly from the pivot, armspivotally connected with the back and connectingbars pivotally connectedwith the curved extremities of the foot rest, and hinged to the saidarms whereby the pivotal connection between the connecting bars and thefoot rest is in advance of the pivotal connection between the foot restand the seat,

'as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a folding and reclining chair, the combination, with the seat, aback pivotally connected with the rear of the seat, and a foot restpivotally connected with the forward portion of the seat, the upper orinner end of the foot rest at its sides being outwardly curved from itspivotal connection with the seat, of legs of the cross pattern pivotallyconnected with each other and pivotally connected with the rear of theseat, the said legs having removable yet looking engagement with thefoot rest, arms pivoted to the back, and connecting bars hinged to thearms and pivotally connected with the curved extremities of the footrest, substantially as shown and described, whereby the chair may bebalanced in whatever position it may be placed, and compactly folded, asand for the purpose specified.

WILLIS J. MORELAND. Witnesses: l

HosEA F. RowELL, F. D. HoY'r.

